Fire-escape.



L. H. FIRESTONE.

FIRE ESCAPE. 'APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 16. 1909.

976,861 r Patented Nov. 29, 1910 LL V El 7 I .I 19 i5 ME 5 LOUIS H.FIRESTONE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed September 16, 1909. Serial No. 5182093.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. FIRESTONE,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in FireEscapes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings and to the numbers of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of fire escapes adapted forindividual use and to afford means adapted to be installed in each roomof a building to permit the occupant to escape in case of fire.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a comparatively light,yet strong, construction, capable of being carried by travelers.

The object of the invention is to afford an exceedingly light, strongand durable device adapted to utilize a small non-combustible cable andprovided with a controlling device whereby the descent may be perfectlyregulated by the user without the necessity of manually engaging thecable, thus avoiding injury to the hands and insuring more efiicientaction.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and morefully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a sectional detail of the controllingdevice. Fig. 2 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 1, with parts omitted.Fig. 3 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawings: a controller consisting, as shown, of acircular metallic holder 13, having an interior central recess in whichare adjustably secured the co-acting clamping jaws 14, which as shown ontheir adjacent faces are grooved longitudinally to receive therebetween,and fit to, the cable 2, which extends diametrically through the casing13, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Each of said clamping jaws, as shown, isprovided with a plurallty of pins 15, which extends outwardly throughthe wall of said shell at a right angle with the cable and are theresecured to a movable collar 16, one on each side of a central threadedshaft 17, which is integral, as shown, with the casing. Said collar isprovided with an internally recessed flange 18, in which is engaged afillet 19, on the wheeled nut 20, whereby the clamping jaws may beadjusted inwardly or outwardly as required to regulate the grip on thecable 2.

Integral with the casing on the lower side thereof are metallic lips 21,and extended therethrough are straps 23, one on each side of thecontroller, one end of each of which is adapted to be rigidly secured ona belt, and the other end of which extends upwardly through said loop onthe controller and thence is led downwardly and engaged to a buckle onsaid belt.

The operation is as follows: In the event of fire or any contingencymaking it desirable to escape immediately from the room, the operatorsecures one end of the cable 2 within the room raises the lower sash ofthe window and after adjusting the controller by setting the clampingjaws rather tightly on the cable or rod (which is usually of small size)the operator swings off and retaining his hold upon the hand wheels,regulates the rapidity of his descent by varying the pressure exerted onthe cable by said clamp.-

Of course, the harness may vary through a wide range and any suitablemeans for supporting the person upon the cable may be used. W'hateverharness may be employed, however, it is important that an eflicientcontroller be employed to regulate the descent and this is the moreimportant owing to the small size of the cable that usually may be assmall as one eighth of an inch in diameter.

Of course, numerous details of the construction may be varied. Itherefore do not purpose limiting this application for patent otherwisethan necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A controlling device for fire escapes comprising a casing, aplurality of clamping jaws therein, threaded shafts rigidly secured toopposite sides of the casings and hand wheels threaded on said shaftsand connected with the clamping jaws.

2. A controlling device for fire escapes comprising a casing having apassage therethrough to receive a cable, clamping jaws in the casing,threaded shafts secured to the casing, pins secured to each clamping jawand pro ecting through the casing, one on each side of the respectiveshafts, collars,

one secured to, each set of pins; and hand wheels, threaded 'on theshafts and having swiveled connection with the collars.

3. In a device of the class described the combination with a cable of acasing through which the same runs, oppositely movable clamping jaws inthe casing adapted to grip the cable therebet-ween, oppositely directedthreaded shafts on the outer side of said casing, a nut engaged on eachof said threaded shafts and connected with one of. the clamping jaws,and. permitting regulation of the pressure thereof, and an adjustableharness, for the. operator supported on said controller.

4;. In a device of the class described a cable, a casing having apassagetheret-hrough to receive the, cable, clamping blocks, one on eachside of the cable and concave to fit partly around the cable, a collarconnected with each clamping block, threaded shafts secured to thecasing and a hand wheel threaded on each threaded shaft and having aswivel connection with the collars adapted when rotated on the shafts toreciprocate the clamping blocks to grip or release the cable.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS H. FIRESTONE.

Witnesses:

CHAR ES W. HILLs, K. E. HANNAH.

